


Pirate Song

by Angst_BuriTTo



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Cobra - Freeform, Don't Like Don't Read, Family, Killian feels, Mentions of Past Slavery, Sea Elf Killian Jones, Supernatural Elements, not Neal friendly, original song (written by author)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 19:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19979452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angst_BuriTTo/pseuds/Angst_BuriTTo
Summary: This is my first OUAT fic, so please be kind! the song at the end of the fic is written b me, please don't use it or repost it without my permission.





	Pirate Song

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first OUAT fic, so please be kind! the song at the end of the fic is written b me, please don't use it or repost it without my permission.

* * *

“ _Upon one summers morning, I carefully did stray, down by the walls of Whopping, I met a sailor gay…conversing with a young lass, she seemed to be in pain…saying; William if you go I fear you’ll ne're return again…my heart is pierced by cupid…I disdain all glitter and gold…there is nothing that consoles me, but my jolly sailor bold…_ ”

Killian continued to hum the rest of the song, a small smile on his face, unaware of his captive audience as he sat with his eyes closed at the helm of the ship.

Emma, Regina, Henry, David and Snow stood with wide eyes as the Captain continued to sing, the hauntingly beautiful sound of Killian Jones’ voice drawing them up from there restless slumber.

They were half a day’s way out of Storybooks docks, the portal deigning to drop them off as far from their wanted destination as possible. It was night, and they were just dropping off to sleep, the lost boys Neal, and Rumple having fallen asleep long before them. They had heard the sound of Killian beginning to sing, and the melody stuck in their hearts, drawing them to the deck of the ship, where they now stood together; listening to the fearsome Captain sing a sailors tune in a voice that made their very souls draw up in attention.

Killian had been singing for almost half an hour before he felt the presence of other people; turning around, he abruptly stopped his song, his eyes wide in shock; much to the disappointment of his audience.

“Bloody Hell, how long have you been _standing there_?!” he gasped, before realizing with sudden insight that they must have heard him singing; which was _not_ a good thing. “Shite, I apologize,” Killian cursed.

“For what, Pirate,” Regina smirked, “For a bit of a show?”

“It really was beautiful, Hook,” Snow agreed, giving him a soft smile. “I didn’t know you could sing.” At her side, David nodded.

“That was really nice, Hook,” Emma said, eyes still riveted on him.

“Look, you don’t understand, my voice-”

“Is _amazing_!” Henry exclaimed, and Killian blushed a dark shade of pink.

“Lad, I really shouldn’t have been singing with all of you on my ship,”

“And why not? Is the Pirate shy?” Regina snarked.

“No, I-”

“It’s because it’s dangerous for those who haven’t heard it before.”

They all turned to see Neal leaning against a mast. Pushing off it Neal scowled at Killian, who grimaced at the man’s words.

“Aye, Bea is right. I should have been more careful; luck must be upon us that you didn’t throw yourselves into the sea.”

“What, at the sound of your voice?” David scoffed, “Look, _mate_ , don’t try to be humble, we all know that it wasn’t horrible.”

“No, because,” Killian bit his tongue, hesitating at revealing his secret.

“It’s because he’s a Sea Seidr. A Sea Elf.” Neal told them, revealing something that he had learned long ago.

“ _No_ ,” Regina widened her eyes, taking a step back. “No way in hell is Captain Guyliner a damned _Sea Hag_.”

Killian scowled at the moniker, clenching his fist. “I may have been cast off by my kind, your majesty, but I still feel the same about being called that filthy title; call me that again and I will gladly lead you to a watery grave.”

“Whoa whoa, wait,” Emma raised a hand, “Let's calm down here,” Emma handed Henry to Mary Margaret and pointed at Killian. “You’re not human?”

“Only half,” Killian replied, “My father was human, my mother was a Seidr, a Sea Enchantress, and Elf. Our voices can be deadly with intent, or…” Killian hung his head, “When a listener has never heard the voice of one of my kind, and the one singing it has not yet learned to control the tempting draw it wields.”

“And yet you decided to sing when my _family_ is on this ship,” Neal snapped, and Killian grimaced, looking apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Bealfire, it’s been so long, the urge- you _know_ what it does, you _remember_ , what that does to me if I don’t sing,”

Neal looked like he had eaten something sour, glaring at Killian.

“You should have held it in.” Neal snapped, and Regina chuckled, making the group, who had been watching Neal’s and Hooks argument, look at her.

“I knew you resented the Pirate, Jr, But I didn’t know you wanted him _dead_. Guess you’re more like your father then we thought.”

“Wait, what do you mean _dead_?” Emma turned to Neal. “What’s she talking about, Neal?”

Neal looked guilty, suddenly, and shook his head. “Emma-”

“If a Sea Elf stops singing, if they ignore the Urge that comes after a long time of not using their voice, they waste away, and die. Sometimes it’s swift and painless, but more often than not, it’s slow and painful.” Regina refused to look anywhere but Neal, somehow feeling protective of the Pirate that helped her get her son back.

“Dad, is that true?” Henry asked softly, and they all stilled, looking at the clearly heartbroken boys face.

“Henry,” Neal tried, but Henry was smart enough to sense when someone was about to lie to him.

“Hook _saved_ me, saved _us_. Why would you say something like that?”

“ _Because he could have killed all of you_.” Neal hissed, and Henry shook his head.

“But he didn’t.” the boy said, narrowing his eyes. “and it wasn’t his _fault_.” The 12-year-old said stubbornly.

“Lad, your father is right, I should have held it in, waited till we reached Storybook and sailed far enough from the town and released it then.” Killian shifted, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “I’ve gone this long ignoring the Urge, I could have waited another day.”

“How long has it been.”

Killian snapped his head up to look at David, who was staring at the Pirate intently, eyes searching.

“What?”

“How long have you ignored the Urge already, before tonight?” Killian could see he wouldn’t be able to lie to the Prince, even if his lie detector Swan wasn’t standing right there.

“…Including the time I spent frozen from the curse?”

“Does that count?”

“Yes,” Killian said quietly, “I would say 30 years, give or take a few weeks.”

He could see the Prince pale, but his eyes snapped to Regina when he heard her give a strangled sound from her throat and saw her looking at him with pale skin and horrified eyes.

“How are you not _dead_ and _gone_ already?” the witch gasped out, “Sea Elves are supposed to sing every few weeks, months at _most_!”

Killian looked down, the tips of his ears blushing pink. “I learned as a lad to hold in the Urge. I was a Slave aboard a Captains ship after my Father sold myself and my brother for a boat to run from the law. They discovered my nature and decided to wield it as they saw fit.” Killian pursed his lips. “I would go months without singing, even though the young of my kind are meant to sing every few days. I never learned to control the tempting allure of the song from new ears because my mother died before she could teach me, and my Master always used the Lure of my song as a weapon to his enemy’s.”

“…You were a slave?” Snow whispered, her voice carrying in the sudden silence on deck.

“Aye,” Killian answered, voice strained. “I was. Until my brother saved us enough coin to buy our way out. Then we joined the Royal Navy. You know the rest of the story.”

“Hoo-Killian,” David started, and there it was, Killian scowled, _pity_.

“I wish to be alone, please,” Killian said, voice firm and, unknowingly, a bit of his Elvish song tinged the words, making the suggestion far easier to be obeyed.

The Charming’s reluctantly nodded, and Neal gave him one last glare before filling them and Regina gave him one last, searching look that told him that the brunette would be talking to him later, and went down below.

The only two left were Emma and Henry, who seemed to not want to listen when he said he wanted to be alone.

“What do you want.” Killian sighed, not looking at the two.

“Now that we’ve heard your song, it’s not deadly to us if you don’t want it to be, right?” Henry walked up to him, and Killian was struck suddenly at how much he looked like Bea, but with his Mother’s kindness and stubbornness.

“Aye, lad.” Killian reluctantly agreed.

“Can you sing something for me? To help me sleep?”

“Lad I,” Killian hesitated, looking at Emma, who just raised an eyebrow.

“ _Please_?” at Emma’s nod, Killian sighed.

“ _On a house by the sea, there lived a maid, fair her skin, her eyes of jade, she watched the lad with his eyes so blue, he sailed the sea's, their love was true…One morn the lass woke up and sighed; fair lad our love, it crosses tides… the lad replied his voice so faint; my lass our love, a hundred years I’d wait…our love will wait, I know it’s true…my fair love, I’ll wait for you…”_

Killian trailed off into a hum, the tune he created so long ago to soothe himself and his brother to sleep on dark and painful nights echoing in his ears like a long-forgotten friend.

Opening his eyes, he smiled to see Swan and her boy barely hanging on to wakefulness, their mouths tipped in peaceful smiles.

“Off to bed with you both,” Killian said softly, traces of his Lure still dripping from his words.

Giving him one last smile, Emma steered her boy back to the ships crew quarters, an almost silent ‘Thank you’ leaving her lips and drifting in the air.

When he heard the closing of the hatch Killian let out a breath, a soft smile gracing his lips.

Perhaps he did have a chance to be a part of something; mayhap not all of his bridges had been burnt. Killian could feel that a new bridge was building between himself and this group of royals. Somehow, he felt that things would change from now on.

Perhaps he no longer had to be alone in his song-less solitude.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> reviews are greatly appreciated!


End file.
